Over time, Bleach protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki kept powering up until he joined the ranks of the anime's most formidable fighters of all. He's come a long way since the days of needing Rukia's guidance when fighting ordinary Hollows in Karakura Town. By this point, Ichigo has mastered his inner Hollow as a half-other hero of worlds, and his skills are nearly unmatched in Bleach's universe.
There are still a few Bleach characters who could clobber Ichigo in the anime's endgame, often with conceptual or outright broken abilities such as The Almighty or The Miracle. Most other Bleach fighters would lose to Ichigo fair and square, however, and that includes some pretty tough characters who don't go down easily in battle. Some of the strongest characters might push Ichigo in a duel, but they're not going to take down this carrot-head shonen protagonist.
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7 Tier Harribel's Aquatic Attacks Can't Match Ichigo's Offensive Power
Sharks Don't Stand a Chance Against Dual Zangetsu
During the Arrancar Saga, it was uncertain if Ichigo could defeat all of the Espadas serving under the villainous Sosuke Aizen. Ichigo needed three fights just to eke out a narrow victory against the 6th Espada, Grimmjow, and he never defeated Nnoitra Gilga at all. Then, Ichigo relied on his ultra-powerful Vasto Lorde form to triumph over the 4th Espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer. Scarily enough, three more Espadas still ranked above Ulquiorra, at least on paper.
Tier Harribel was one of those Espadas as #3, a calm and focused warrior who made use of an oversized zanpakuto, creative use of her cero blasts, and most of all, her released form. Harribel easily traded off against the elite Captain Hitsugaya, but by now, that's not actually saying a whole lot. Hitsugaya has since gotten stronger, and so has Ichigo, to the point that Harribel would stand little chance against him. Her shark-like released form relies mainly on power with water attacks and shark tooth blades, and endgame Ichigo can beat Harribel at her own game without too much trouble.
6 Baraggan Luisenbairn Won't Have Time to Rot Ichigo Away in Their Duel
Respira is Too Slow to Handle Ichigo's Mobility
The 2nd Espada, Baraggan Luisenbairn, was too tough for Captain Sui-Feng and Marechiyo Omaeda to defeat. Baraggan was durable enough to survive two attacks from Sui-Feng's bankai, and Marechiyo couldn't do a thing. That, combined with Baraggan's ability to rot anything away, made him seem unbeatable until Hachigen destroyed him from the inside. After a point, though, Ichigo became strong enough to defeat Baraggan even if he can't negate this Espada's deathly powers.
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This is a matter of sheer power scaling, because even if Ichigo can't neutralize Baraggan's aura, he can still power his way through it to win anyway. It's a comment on how far Ichigo has come as a straightforward shonen hero who relies on speed, technique, and overwhelming strength to prevail against Bleach's most formidable foes. Ichigo can outrun the rotting power of Respira and slash Baraggan apart up close, though it may take a couple of swings for the 2nd Espada to be destroyed for good.
5 Coyote Starrk is Fast and Tough, But Not Enough to Defeat Ichigo
Starrk is Also Too Lazy to Fight at 100%
The dreaded 1st Espada, Coyote Starrk, is reluctant to use his full power. His speed with Sonido is truly impressive, and his toughness is astonishing, to the point he can endure repeated blows from Captains Ukitake and Kyoraku and keep fighting. As of the Fake Karakura Town Arc, that allowed Starrk to live up to his reputation as the top Arrancar, along with his fearsome offensive abilities. Ichigo must take that kind of power seriously even in Bleach's endgame, but it's nothing to be afraid of.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
This kind of matchup is where Ichigo is at his best: power vs power, speed vs speed. After gaining his Final Zangetsu, Ichigo was in shape to take on Starrk, and now, in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc, Ichigo is even more powerful than that. Ichigo's hybrid Hollow form and Dual Zangetsu are all he would need to massacre the 1st Espada and prove that the Espadas were overrated after all. If Ichigo can keep pace with the top Sternritter, he can match Starrk's speed, too.
4 Bazz-B's Fiery Assault is Lukewarm Compared to Ichigo's Hybrid Form
No Amount of Burner Fingers Will Take Ichigo Down
Most Sternritter would stand little chance against endgame Ichigo and his Dual Zangetsu, with just a few exceptions. Gerard Valkyrie might win or at least survive with The Miracle as a warrior of God, and Lille Barro is a divine being who could survive, too. Other Sternritter aren't so lucky, with Sternritter H Bazz-B being one of them. He was scary at first as a flame-slinging Quincy who made a fool of Squad 10's top officers, but he couldn't defeat Jugram, and he couldn't take down Ichigo, either.
Bazz-B fights with sheer offensive power, with The Heat contrasting with more conceptual attacks such as The Miracle, The Visionary, or The Almighty. This is Ichigo's arena, and Bazz-B cannot defeat him in it by any means. Stealing Zangetsu is out of the question, seeing how Ichigo's bankai is immune to the medallion, so Bazz-B has no way to sabotage Ichigo's massive power. If the matchup remains a fair and square battle, then Ichigo's victory over The Heat is guaranteed.
3 Jugram Haschwalth Needs More Time to Balance His Fortunes Against Ichigo
Jugram Favors Slower Fights
Sternritter B Jugram Haschwalth may not be the most powerful Quincy to appear in Bleach, but he is definitely the strongest Quincy whom Ichigo could definitely take down in a theoretical matchup. Fortunately for Ichigo, Jugram's physical attacks play right into Ichigo's hands, with Jugram defying Quincy norms by wielding a greatsword in battle. When it comes to a clash of blades, Ichigo is nearly unbeatable as of his endgame form.
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As for Jugram's tricks and techniques, he can turn the tables using The Balance, but that's too slow to stop Bleach's glorious hero. The Balance did give Jugram the edge when battling Uryu Ishida, but the ultra-quick Ichigo won't even give Jugram a chance to use it. Jugram needs a little time to build up his misfortunes to redirect them at the enemy, and Ichigo won't give him that opportunity. Even if Jugram uses a partial version of The Almighty, Ichigo's speed and offensive power are too much for Sternritter B to handle.
2 Shunsui Kyoraku Won't Win if He Cannot Use His Bankai in Time
Ichigo Won't Let Shunsui's Terrifying Bankai Enter the Picture
For many episodes in Bleach, Ichigo could only wish he was in the same league as veteran Soul Reapers like Captain Shunsui Kyoraku of Squad 8. Shunsui has centuries of experience under his belt and an impressive zanpakuto with game-based and story-based releases. It was fortunate Shunsui wasn't hostile to Ichigo in all that time, and now, it hardly even matters. Shunsui is still quite formidable, but Ichigo has narrowly surpassed him as a Soul Reaper champion.
Shunsui's fearsome bankai can, in theory, guarantee a kill by beheading the enemy after the tragic tale of lovers is told. It didn't work against Lille Barro, and Ichigo wouldn't give Shunsui a chance to use it anyway. Ichigo strikes first and asks questions later, and Shunsui's wordy shikai and bankai cannot kee up. Shunsui has been fighting since Japan's feudal era, but that won't matter when Ichigo's sheer power scaling is brought to bear. Shunsui would congratulate Ichigo on a job well done after losing a polite duel to him.
1 Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto Can Burn Down Worlds But Can't Stop Ichigo
Ichigo's Power Scaling Left the Captain Commander in the Dust
Captain Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto is another Soul Reaper who seemed impossible to surpass. He has the most experience out of all known Soul Reapers and commands titanic power even in his old age, most of all with his apocalyptic bankai. Zanka no Tachi's power is what prompted Yamamoto to call himself a monster, a flaming creature who could destroy the entire Soul Society. But even if that power is brought to bear against endgame Ichigo, it's still not quite enough.
Yamamoto is the most powerful Bleach character whom endgame Ichigo can defeat thanks to his peerless skill, his mastery of kido, and the blistering might of both his shikai and bankai. Without bankai, Yamamoto will swiftly lose to the "mere" human Ichigo, and even with bankai, Ichigo could still realistically claim victory. Zanka no Tachi is like the sun itself, but if Ichigo can maneuver around it, then that scorching power means little. Even the world's most powerful fire zanpakuto can't stand up to Ichigo's perfect blend of his Soul Reaper powers and Hollow.
- Showrunner
- Tite Kubo
